Australian writer Yang Hengjun, of Chinese descent, has been handed a suspended death sentence by a Beijing court on Monday (Feb 5), accusing him of espionage. Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong expressed the Australian government’s dismay at the outcome, stating that Canberra will strongly communicate its response to the decision. The death sentence could reportedly be commuted to life imprisonment after a two-year period.
Foreign Minister Wong emphasized that the Australian government is appalled by the verdict and acknowledged the distress that Yang Hengjun and his family are likely experiencing after years of uncertainty. The minister revealed that China’s ambassador to Australia would be summoned to hear Australia’s objection to the court’s decision.
Yang Hengjun, a 58-year-old pro-democracy blogger and Australian citizen born in China, was arrested at Guangzhou airport in 2019. Before his detention, he was based in New York and wrote extensively about Chinese and US politics, gaining prominence as a blogger and author of spy novels. The details of the espionage case against him, including the country he was accused of spying for, remain unknown.
A family spokesperson in Sydney conveyed the shock and devastation experienced by Yang’s family in response to the suspended death sentence. Beijing has not provided any comments on the development.
Yang’s trial in May 2021 was conducted in secret, and the case details were never publicly disclosed. Throughout the legal proceedings, Yang consistently denied the allegations of working as a spy for Australia or the US.
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